doozies. ♪ raise the debt ceiling ♪ >> reporter: jeanne moos, new york. thank you very much for watching. i'm wolf blitzer. join us week days from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. eastern, and saturdays at :p.m. eastern on cnn. and tomorrow night 9:00 p.m. eastern, don lemon and i will be co-anchoring a special on the debt crisis. you will want to see what's going on. the stakes are enormous. cnn "newsroom with don lemon" starts right now. all right, thank you very much. it is the top of the hour. we begin with breaking news, i'm don lemon, everyone. if you need one more sign that the debate over raising the nation's debt ceiling is far from over, it happened just last hour on capitol hill. not only do the two sides have big differences over how to raise the ceiling and avoid default, they can't even agree on whether they're making progress.

democratic senate leader harry reid and republican senate leader mitch mcconnell on the senate floor moments ago. look. >> today the speaker republican leader held a press conference to announce they're in talks with the president and that a bargain to raise the debt ceiling is in the works and is close. in president, members of the senate, that's not true. i just spent two hours with the president, vice president, and leader pelosi, and it's fair for me to say that the engagement there is not in any meaningful way. the speaker, republican leader should know that merely saying we have agreement in front of a few television cameras doesn't make it so. >> the fact of the matter is that the only way we're going to get an agreement before tuesday is to have an agreement with the president of the united states. and the only person in america of the 307 million of us who can sign something into law. and i'm more optimistic than my friend, the majority leader. we've both talked to the president today. talked to the vice president

several times. i think we've got a chance of getting there. >> okay. so let's start on capitol hill with our congressional correspondent, kate bolduan. the parties can't agree that there's a deal near. are we back to square one? >> reporter: i think we should warn viewers, this story has and continues to just change minute by minute. i don't think it's clear yet if we're back to square one. i can tell you i think what we're seeing here is a lot of frustration on all sides on how long this has dragged on, and -- and how near the deadline i think we're getting. of course, a lot of she said/he said. and when you see mitch mcconnell saying that he has been talking to the white house all afternoon, indicating that the stalled talks that really were going nowhere in the past week are kind of -- starting up again, senate republican leadership aide saying that he was laying out for the white house what they, republicans, could accept and making the point to say that they are working.

but at almost the exact thing as quickly you hear from senator harry reid that they're not making progress. as he said, he didn't think the engagement was meaningful, and a top democratic aide saying that the senate majority leader's frustration or his pessimism if you will was that the top republicans, they haven't moved off of their like opening bargaining position. so there is a lot at play here. of course, these negotiations needs to move forward it f they're going to reach some form of compromise, don. right now, at least publicly, you're seeing the two of the top negotiators very much in different positions. >> yeah. ive said this two weeks ago. it's beginning to feel like ground hog day, and it is again, two weeks later. thank you, kate. stand by. democratic leaders meat with the president this afternoon. republican leaders say they're in contact with the president by phone. but so far, there appears to be little to show for their efforts. so let's get the latest from our chief white house correspondent now, jessica yellin. what is the latest from the

white house? again, there seems like the same conversation we've been having for weeks now. >> reporter: the change now is that after days of virtual silence as they waited for -- all sides waited for the boehner bill to move through the house, now there's engagement and talking and negotiating, as you say. the republican position is that minority leader mcconnell of the senate is negotiating with the white house. that is a change. so the action here is that vice president biden and minority leader mitch mcconnell, the republican in the senate, are in active conversations. it's noteworthy that sources here tell me it was mitch mcconnell who picked up the phone and first initiated contact with the vice president. they've spoken multiple times today as you've heard mcconnell say on the floor there. his to get off the phone to come and have this discussion on the floor with you, majority leader reid. so the point is we're moving -- they're moving, they're talking, they're moving toward something. and sources, you know, here say that there is awareness on all

sides that no party line bill is going to raise the debt ceiling. >> okay. >> so that would be a shift. >> all right. so -- what you're saying, though, i would gather -- i'm not hearing it from the floor, but this is a moving story, there is some optimism that we are closer to a deal now, is that correct? >> reporter: you know, don, it really does depend on who you speak to. so as kate reported, you heard harry reid saying no, we're nowhere. there were glimmers of hope from -- on this end of pennsylvania avenue especially before that meeting with reid and pelosi. a deal has to happen this weekend. we are getting close, maybe by tomorrow morning we'll have more to report for you. >> okay. thank you, chief white house correspondent, jessica yellin. don't go far, we'll be covering this through the weekend. rolling coverage. thank you very much. to help make send of all this, i want to -- make sense of all this, i want to bring in wolf blitzer. wolf has been covering the story the whole time. so here's a question -- deal or no deal? are they close? and are they just really talking

at each other now? >> my sense is that mitch mcconnell is probably closer to what's going on right now than harry reid, the majority leader in the senate, in the sense that mitch mcconnell's been speaking with joe biden. remember, he used to be a united states senator, there's a longstandinging relationship there, and he's speaking with the president. i don't think mitch mcconnell would be saying, you know, they're close it a deal, he's optimistic, there won't be a default -- on i don't think he would be saying that unless he had a basis. he really used to talk all the time to harry reid, thought he had a deal a week ago with reid but felt the white house sort of undermined that deal and he doesn't trust harry reid as much as he used to in the sense that harry reid can deliver. he sees that the president of the united states can deliver if he wants to, and -- and look, at this stage, we've now heard from harry reid saying they're no closer to a deal. we've hear from mitch mcconnell

saying we are closer to a deal. who haven't we heard from? we haven't heard from the white house, the president or vice president or any of their top aides. at least on this day except for the president's radio and internet address which he taped earlier, that was basically a reiteration of what he said the day before. we'll hear tomorrow some of the president's aides are going out on some of the sunday morning shows, i know gene spurling is going to be on "state of the union" tomorrow morning with gloria borger. we'll hear what they have to say. so far it's weird in the sense that the white house is being at this critical moment in these negotiations thunderously silent, and we don't really understand, you know, what's going on. my own sense is they're moving in the right direction, though. because they simply can't afford default. >> yeah. and mitch mcconnell certainly calling on the president saying the president, the buck stops with him. if he agrees to something, then the democrats, he says, will most likely fall in hine. that was his -- that's what he said on the floor not long ago. wolf blitzer, thank you very much. enjoyed your coverage just last

hour. make sure you stay with us because we're going to be all over the story throughout the show. democratic senator ben cardin is going to join me at the half-hour for more perspective on these very fluid debt talks. i want you to listen to this -- >> stepped back, pulled my glock 40 and put ten bullet in your [ bleep ]. until you drop. >> that is an ohio police officer caught on tape threatening a motorist. and apparently it's not his first incident caught on camera. we're going to show you the video. it's gone viral. we're going to talk about the case with our legal contributor, holly hughes. you'll hear it, as well. many of you are asking questions. you can reach out to us on twitter or facebook. check out "transparent." ake spee in servicing clients that serve our country. my name is marjorie reyes. i'm a chief warrant officer. i am very grateful and appreciative that quicken loans can offer service members va loans. it was very important

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why are they so stupid and refuse to realize that they cannot keep spending money when the bank is broke and they have no more money in the bank? who are they fooling? >> americans like you speaking out on cnn's ireport and throughout the hours, our broadcast on cnn, we'll hear your voices, your voices, not just the people in washington. meantime, some other news to tell you about. in canton, ohio, some residents are demanding a suspended police officer be fired. dash cam video that you're about to see allegedly shows the officer threatening to shoot people during traffic stops. here's eric manfield of wkyc. i took two steps back, pulled my glock 40 and put ten bullet in your [ bleep ].

>> reporter: it was posted one week ago, already it's an online must-see. canton police officer danielle harliss berating a driver who appears to be showing him his conceal-carry license so that harliss would know he was armed. >> i'm so close to caving in your [ bleep ]. head. >> reporter: now a second video. >> i'll kill every one of you [ bleep ]. >> reporter: this from a year ago. >> i'll tell you what [ bleep ]. i will shoot you in the face and go to sleep tonight. >> reporter: as harliss' temperaturer flares while a traffic stop for suspected drunk driving. >> we're seeing repeat behavior. a disturbing pattern. >> reporter: fill up mulivor is for ohioans for can seal carry, a group calling for the police officer's job. >> in both cases this officer's behavior is entirely egregious. he needs to be removed at once. >> reporter: in both cases, officer harliss is encountering a gun during a traffic stop, which is always a perceived threat for police. now it's up to police brass to

determine what's acceptable. >> you [ bleep ]. get the [ bleep ] before i shoot you. >> all right. that was eric manfield of wkyc. holly, i'm going to bring in holly, a criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor. let's start with that particular question. when does a police officer cross the line from aggressively doing his job to threatening and abusive behavior? we weren't there. >> right. >> but that looks pretty damning. >> it's pretty bad. here's what happens -- he stops these people, saying is there anything i need to be concerned about. they say no. come to find out when he talks to the back seat passenger, he pulls the seat forward and sees a gun. that's when he really loses it. i don't mind an officer using profanity, don. i don't mind that his temper's flaring and he's jammed up. but when he starts threatening to kill citizens, to shoot them in the face, to put them in their grave, calling them morons and idiots and liars, he's gone

over the edge because now what we see an officer who cannot control his temper. that's a crime, don. if a citizen said to another citizen, "i will shoot you in the face," and is holding a weapon, has access to a weapon, that is a terroristic threat, a felony charge. this officer has gone beyond the pale when he starts threatening. >> if you were defending this officer, what would you do? >> okay, if i were defending him, the first thing i would say is they lied to him right up-front. this was a gun in the back of that car. the driver admits, hey, i just got out of jail or prison three weeks ago. and the officer says, what for, guns and drugs. so naturally the officer is on high alert. his adrenaline is pumping. it's a rush. they say to him, no weapons in the vehicle, and suddenly there is one -- i would defend him by saying this man was in fear for his life, he felt like something terrible was going happen to him. and this is duress. he did not actually intend to levy a threat against these

people. his temper got away from him, but he didn't unharness his gun, he didn't pull it or brandish it. >> if you were prosecuting him -- >> i would say he has gone too far. he can't handle his temper, he can't control it. what is next, don? after you do-not-call these people stupid, threaten -- after you call these people stupid, threats tonight put a bullet in their head, what is going to rein that anger back in and keep him from pulling the trigger. if i was prosecuting him i would say this is an officer out of control. he does not need to be on the street with a weapon in his hand. >> okay. holly hughes, thank you very much. i have to get this in -- this came in from the canton police department. here's what they say, the statement from the canton police department says, "the officer was relieved of duty and has not worked since the incident. it is being fully investigated." again, that's -- >> he's being paid -- on paid administrative leave. when you have two videos like this, don, what more evidence do you need? seriously? this is a big problem, and it's going to come back to bite them if they don't dismiss him altogether. >> thank you. this is some of the tornado

devastation from joplin, missouri, justi two months ago. next we'll talk with one of the first people on the scene who reported for us, a local resident, bethany scoody, right after the break. first, choosing a college, it is a big decision, and to help make it many families turn to "u.s. news and world report," their annual rankings of the best schools. our education contributor, steve perry, looks at how the rankings are created and whether they're actually hurting higher education. ♪ rankings didn't really matter as much to me. >> i find it generally to be pretty accurate. >> what is your issue with the ranking? >> the process of college admissions has been commerci commercialized to the nth degree, led by "u.s. news & world report." >> reporter: lloyd thacker leads the education conservancy. they say the rankings have become a beauty pageant where some students feel pressured to choose their college based off numbers instead of their own values. there's a group called education conservancy.

>> they don't like the rankings. >> they think it's a crock. >> it's true that the rankings have become a big brand for "u.s. news." but they've become a brand because there was a wed is of information -- was a wed is of information. >> he claims the rankings are fair because they're based on a combination of reputation, graduation rates, resources, and endowments among other things. when we hit the streets to find out what students thought, the results were mixed. >> there's always this, i don't know, strive to get into the school that's ranked one higher than the next. >> in my opinion, it's stupid, yeah. it is. it shouldn't be that way. >> the college ranking might easily sway a college student to choose one school or another. >> biased. yeah, a little bit biased, tainted. kind of stereotypical. but important. >> we believe that we're producing something for consumers and that's our main mission. i don't think it's as pivotal force in admissions even though

it's a factor. >> what did t does is it turns -- what it does is it turns students into customers, education into product, and gaining admission to the most selective college a prize that must be won. >> steve perry, new york. this past year alone there was a 93% increase in cyber attacks. in financial transactions... on devices... in social interactions... and applications in the cloud. some companies are worried. some, not so much. thanks to a network that secures it all and knows what to keep in, and what to keep out. outsmart the threats. see how at cisco.com cisco.

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